Deadline: 01-Oct-20
Applications are now open for the Ottawa Community Foundation’s One-Year Community Grants Program.
The CGP funds initiatives in the following broad areas: social services, arts and culture, education, environment, health, and animal welfare.
The Community Grants program does not provide funding for the following. If you are unsure whether your application falls into one of these categories:
- Core operations
- Fundraising events or campaigns;
- Partisan political or religious activities;
- Individuals;
- Sponsorships;
- Deficit reduction;
- Equipment purchases for administrative purposes.
Note: Staff salaries and/or maintenance and administrative costs are not eligible if associated with basic operations and established, ongoing programs. These costs can qualify, however, if associated with the development and/or implementation of new programs, the expansion or evolution of existing programs, or such other initiatives as capacity development, strategic planning, evaluation, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
Typically, registration with Canada Revenue Agency as a charitable organization is required to be eligible to apply for a Community Grant. Incorporation as a not-for-profit is not sufficient to qualify. However, an organization that does not have charitable status can apply in a formal partnership with a charitable organization if, through the initiative in question, the non-charitable organization is helping the charity fulfill its mission and mandate. There are also a limited number of other categories of organizations that are eligible to apply directly.
In addition:
- Applicants must demonstrate fiscal responsibility and have a committed volunteer board.
- The initiative for which the grant is being requested must benefit residents of Ottawa.
- Previous Community Grant recipients must file an Evaluation Report before applying for a new grant.
Qualifying Initiatives
Initiatives must do one or more of the following:
- Benefit the Ottawa community, improve the quality of life for its residents, and help to foster a strong, positive and caring community;
- Use a community development approach to build on the assets and strengths of the community in order to respond to evolving issues and emerging priorities;
- Address the root causes of identified local issues and work on long-term solutions in an effort to achieve systemic change;
- Cultivate collective action within the community (i.e. through a shared vision for change, coordinated activities, joint data collection and results measurement, the coordination of participating organizations, etc.);
- Take a creative or unique approach to tackling community issues (e.g. through the method of service delivery, engagement of community partners, role of community members, etc.);
- Help to build the capacity of individuals, organizations and communities.
In accordance with the principles and commitments of the Foundation, the Grants Committee pays close attention to whether and how proposed initiatives incorporate diversity and inclusion. The Committee also takes into account applicants’ resources, capacity and options for fundraising and marketing, to ensure that the funding reaches capable organizations that may have more limited scope in these areas.
For more information, visit https://www.ocf-fco.ca/one-year-grants/